


Two Steps Back

by DustToDust



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:40:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25745254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DustToDust/pseuds/DustToDust
Summary: Even as it stares him in the face, the great Altair is blind.
Relationships: Malik Al-Sayf/Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, Malik Al-Sayf/Desmond Miles
Comments: 7
Kudos: 103





	Two Steps Back

**Author's Note:**

> Story previously posted under a different name.

~

"I have nothing else," Altair murmurs in the vain hope that keeping his voice low will stop the Dai from yelling more.

"I am well aware of that fact," Malik snaps as he finally deigns to glance up from the map he has been failing to work on. His eyes are hard and burn with an anger that does little to hide the pain in them. "And I would suggest doing a little more leg work, because that is not enough for me to approve this mission."

Irritation comes quick, as always when dealing with Malik and his sharp tongue, despite Altair's best effort to remain calm, "I have enough to take out the target. If you want more redundant information, you can do your job and give me some help!"

" _Your_ job is to redeem your worthless life to the Order, not whine like a child that a little information seeking is too hard!" Malik is up and leaning into Altair's space in the blink of an eye. His eyes blaze with fury, wounded pride, and pain. Voice rising from it's cold snarl to a shout, "I know my job, far better than you know yours, _novice_! I have already given you more aid than you need or deserve! Now get out of my sight and do not come back until you have what I require!"

"Safety and peace," the words are hissed through Altair's teeth as he turns and swiftly leaves the Bureau. Not daring to spare a look back at the seething man lest he kill him out of frustration. No matter where or how they meet it seems Malik will always be destined to be a thorn in his side.

~

It feels like they have spoken more words to each other in the past few moments than they have their entire lives. Altair supposes that could actually be true, if he is the new man that Malik has claimed he is. The one who does not need forgiveness because he has done nothing wrong.

"Altair," Malik begins, but does not say anything else. His eyes are dark and free of the hate that had been there for so long. Something else flashes through them now. Warm and reminiscent of when they were both younger. Malik sighs and closes his eyes, the look is gone when he opens them and nods to the entrance, "You should go."

"Safety and peace, Malik," Robert will not wait and he has a long journey ahead of him. Altair turns and leaves. Hearing Malik respond in kind is as relieving as hearing his forgiveness.

~

Altair surfaces gradually his mind reluctantly parting from the Apple. His hand itches to take up quill and ink to record what he has learned, but there are other things he must attend to first. "Malik."

The painful grip on his shoulder eases and the man himself walks around the desk to look at him. His face is tight with disapproval and poorly hidden fear. "You have been lost in that thing for two days now."

Altair stifles a surge of annoyance. Two days is nothing, he can easily go for three or four before taking a break. He holds his tongue though. Altair has learned that reminding his friend of this will only get him into more pointless arguments. Just as sharing all that he has learned will do nothing to stop the man from dragging him out of his sessions every few days. By force if needed. 

No locked doors or orders to be left alone could ever stand up to Malik's stubbornness. Especially not when the man has shown no qualms in enlisting Maria and her own unique brand of determination to aid him.

Malik glares at the Apple. Eyes hard and sick with a combination of things Altair cannot read. He resigns himself to a few hours away from his study before his wife is brought in. It is easier to simply give into their demands every now and then. 

So, though he wants nothing more than to go back to the Apple, Altair stands. Ignoring the way his joints pop and back aches he steps toward the door. One hand drawing Malik away from the desk, "Tell me what has happened, Malik."

~

"A son," Altair repeats with a ghostly smile. He holds the parchment a moment longer, eyes scanning the brief words to memorize them. Then he carefully passes it through a candle, letting the flame burn it away. Until Maria is safely in Masyaf nothing must ever connect her to him.

Malik does not look up from the book he has been carefully reading. The tension in his shoulders the only sign showing he knew where the message had come from. "Does this son have a name?"

"Possibly," Altair frowns in thought. Maria had not written it in the message, deliberately no doubt. Her own way of telling him to leave Masyaf and visit her. Or else. "I will not know it until she decides to tell me though," he grins at Malik's disbelieving stare and shrugs. "Women can be odd at times."

"Indeed?" Malik's smile does not go any further than his lips. "I shall have to take your word for it then."

Altair's sharp bark of laughter is loud and echoes alone in the study.

~

Malik watches as the horses are led out. Maria astride one with their youngest son before her, a pack horse following closely behind. The oldest boy clambers up easily onto the last horse without help from either of them. Altair turns to Malik then. Repeating the same instructions they have been going over for the past few months, because it is time for them to leave and he has nothing left to say.

Malik obviously does not hear the words. Only looks at his friend, one last time, because this mission will be neither quick nor easy. It is entirely possible that Altair will not come back.

"Altair," something shifts in Malik's face, and it is enough to stop Altair mid-sentence. The other man reaches out with his arm and grips Altair firmly. Calloused hands sliding around to cup the back of his neck, and Altair allows it without flinching. There is no other man in the world he trusts more than his friend. "Keep yourself safe. I-" Malik hesitates a brief almost unnoticeable second before he continues in a tone too low for any other to hear, "I love you, Altair."

"You would do best to watch for your own safety," Altair smiles responding in the same low tone, relieved that Malik has found the words he himself had not known to say. He grips Malik's shoulder firmly, one friend to another, "I love you, brother."

Malik's eyes are dark with grief and pain, but he presses his lips into a thin line as he releases Altair. Refusing to speak again because neither of them are truly comfortable with partings. With one last nod, Altair lets go as well and swings up behind his son. His family sets off and Altair does not look back confident he is leaving the Order in the right hand.

~

Desmond opens his eyes to the nothingness of the loading screen. Alone again. 

He takes a deep, shuddering breath and relaxes his clenched hands. He swears loudly, his voice filling the void as he calls his ancestor every kind of idiot in the book. How could a man touted as a genius be so blind to what was right in front of his face? 

His heart aches. A sharp twist of pain at the knowledge of what Malik had felt, and never got resolution for. It's a sympathetic pain. One that Desmond is helpless against. He might have laughed at the irony of it all if it wasn't happening to him.

The space around him brightens to a blinding intensity. In the seconds before he disconnects Desmond whispers to a dead man who will never hear him, " _I_ love you."

~

**Author's Note:**

> :D


End file.
